


Tension

by OTTSTF



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Multi-choice, Reader-Interactive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2020-01-15 01:10:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18488206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OTTSTF/pseuds/OTTSTF
Summary: Mike finds himself stressing over both Will and El as he awaits their return. Max tries to ease his worries.This is a small post-gate story, displaying how I would produce reader-interactive stories.Your choices, whether dialogue, actions, etc., will influence the characters, their development, and relationships with each-other.Ideas are welcome! Feedback isverygrately appreciated on this, as it's a first for me, and I'd love to know what people think of the general idea.





	1. Chapter 1- Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Your choices play an important part in these stories. Your choices will influence the characters, their development, and their relationships.
> 
> * * *
> 
> **Chapters are not to be read in order. Individual chapters are linked to by the choices you make inside the story.**  
>  If the reception of this story goes well, future stories will be longer and have more choices.

Mike couldn’t stop his knee from bouncing.

He and the party had just returned to the Byers’ home, following their mission in the Upside-Down-infested vine tunnels.

All he can think of, no matter how much he tries to stop, is the hoard of Demo-Dogs that ran past Dustin and Steve. His imagination is playing against him – all he keeps seeing is the exact opposite of what had happened. Limbs torn apart, screams from his friend and… babysitter?

He shakes his head, trying to erase the images from his memory. In the distance, he hears the mumbling of his friends surrounding him. He’s not paying attention – to be frankly honest, he doesn’t care. He’s too worried about Will, but selfishly, moreso El. He _cannot_ lose her again, and that isn’t just exaggeration. He was so lost for the three-hundred and fifty-three days that they were separated; he knows full well if he had to lose her again, he wouldn’t be able to recover.

His knee, absent from his mind, grows more aggravated as it continues to bounce.

“Mike!” he suddenly hears a voice, a female voice, breaking through the thick cloud of fog that had built up in his mind. His head snaps up, hoping to somehow find El stood in front of him, perfectly well.

Instead he finds Max, and his heart drops. He notices the look on her face, however – a face of worry. Worry for him? He’s not sure.

“What is it, Max?” he grumbles back, wishing so much that she could just poof into a cloud of smoke and reveal El.

“They’re going to be fine.” she states as if she knows it to be fact.  
“Will is going to be fine. He’ll have that thing out of him, and he’ll be back to whatever he used to be like.”

“How do you know that?” Mike questions, glaring.

“Because I’ve met him. He’s strong. He’s put up with that thing in the back of his head for a year and he still managed to be himself. He _will_ be okay.”

Mike wants so much to believe her; to believe everything will be okay. But what if they didn’t get it out of him? What if El closed the gate too quickly, and Will was still linked to the Mind Flayer? Would they be right? Would Will be dead?

“And El…” Max snaps Mike back out of his internal doom.  
“El is… amazing. She’s literally a superhero, Mike. She’s closed that gate, Will is going to recover, and she’s going to come back here, to you, and you’ll never be separated again.”

Mike reflects on what she tells him. He takes it in, and wills himself to believe her.

“I promise, Mike.”

Mike looks deep into her eyes, and he can tell she truly believes what she says.  
He takes a breath, closing his eyes for a moment to let himself reflect, and when he opens them again, he opens his mouth to say…

 

* * *

[“Thank you, Max.”](/works/18488206/chapters/43809607)  
-  
[“](/works/18488206/chapters/43809697)[You can’t promise me that.”](/works/18488206/chapters/43809697)

* * *

 


	2. Chapter 1 - Choice A

Mike looks deep into her eyes, and he can tell she truly believes what she says.  
He takes a breath, closing his eyes for a moment to let himself reflect, and when he opens them again, he opens his mouth to say,  
“Thank you, Max.”

She smiles softly, proud of herself for helping him, despite their previous clashes.  
“Don’t mention it, grumpy.”

As if on cue, they hear the crumbling of gravel beneath tyres approaching. Mike has never bounced to his feet faster.

He opens the door so fast that, had his limbs allowed it, he could’ve torn the door from its hinges. He rushes onto the porch, and to his relief, sees two different vehicles approaching alongside each-other:  
The Byers’ car, and Hopper’s truck.

He’s frozen in place. He wants to bolt it towards the cars, but even then, he wouldn’t know which to go to. His gut screams El – she’s just closed an interdimensional wormhole, and based on his memory of her from last year, he can only imagine how much she’s worked herself to do so.

But at the same time, he wants to see Will. He’s just had an alien consciousness burned out of him. How much work would that require on his part? Is he worn out? Is he awake, even? And if so, is he back to the cheerful, care-free Will that he used to be?

Jonathan is then helping his little brother out of the front passenger seat, with Nancy by his side. Will stumbles out, looking weak, but when he looks up and sees Mike waiting for him, he manages to wear a smile.

That simple smile on Will’s face tells Mike everything he needs to know.  
The real Will is back. He’s free from the demons that took hold of him, and he’s perfectly healthy.

“Will.” Mike gasps, grabbing hold of his best friend, pulling him into the tightest hug once he’s alongside him.

“I’m fine, Mike.” he laughs, hugging back.

Mike’s relieved to have Will back – of course he is. But at the same time, his eyes keep glancing to where he sees Hopper reaching into the back of his truck, clearly about to grab El.

“Go see her, Mike.” he tells him, pulling back.  
“She needs you.”

Mike glances again, and catches a glimpse of her.

“Go on. I’m fine.”

That’s all it takes. Mike is then rushing down the gravel path, crossing the short distance from the porch to where Hopper now has El in his arms.

“Keep it quiet, Wheeler.” Hopper requests, seeming serious but not aggressive.

“Is she-”

“Mike…”

His heart skips a beat. Even as he watches her hand fall down and reach for him, he’s frozen.

“Mike.” El gasps his name again, snapping him back to attention.

“El!” he grabs her hand tightly in both of his.  
“I…” he gasps, out of breath from the sheer shock of seeing her again.  
“I knew you’d be okay.” he sighs. “I knew it. You’re so powerful, El.”

She smiles softly, with her head leaning down out of Hopper’s arms.

“You’re damn right she is.” Hopper agrees with him.  
“Come on, let’s go lay you down.”

Mike follows, keeping El’s hand in one of his own, holding tightly, as if she could disappear any moment.

“I told you so.” Max whispers into his ear as he passes.

Mike smiles; _really_ smiles as he passes, and that’s all Max needs. The thanks that radiate from that smile can be heard from miles away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think of this idea! If the reception goes well, I'll absolutely be making more of these. But, at more length, and more choices, there's a _lot_ of effort required for this kind of thing.
> 
> Thank you. I love you all!


	3. Chapter 1 - Choice B

Mike looks deep into her eyes, and he can tell she truly believes what she says.  
He takes a breath, closing his eyes for a moment to let himself reflect, and when he opens them again, he opens his mouth to say,  
“You can’t promise me that.”

She frowns, clearly wishing that Mike could just listen to her for once.

“She strained herself so much last year." Mike continues. "She passed out so many times…”

Max nods, understanding his fear.  
“I get it, Mike. But that was a year ago. I’m sure she’s so much stronger now.”

“It’s an interdimensional gate, Max!” Mike shouts. “It- it could kill her!”

“Mike, don’t think like that.” Max pleads.  
“I know I don’t know her, but I know she’s strong. She might be tired after it, but I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

Mike sighs, wishing she could just stop. He wants to believe her – he really does. But he can’t.

“You don’t need to be scared Mike-”

“I’m not scared!” he raises his voice. “I just…”  
“I can’t lose her again.”

“You won’t.” Max doesn’t let his shouting get to her. She understands his point of view, and respects it.  
“Just believe me. You won’t.”

 

As if on cue, they hear the crumbling of gravel beneath tyres approaching. Mike has never bounced to his feet faster.

He opens the door so fast that, had his limbs allowed it, he could’ve torn the door from its hinges. He rushes onto the porch, and to his relief, sees two different vehicles approaching alongside each-other:  
The Byers’ car, and Hopper’s truck.

He’s frozen in place. He wants to bolt it towards the cars, but even then, he wouldn’t know which to go to. His gut screams El – she’s just closed an interdimensional wormhole, and based on his memory of her from last year, he can only imagine how much she’s worked herself to do so.

But at the same time, he wants to see Will. He’s just had an alien consciousness burned out of him. How much work would that require on his part? Is he worn out? Is he awake, even? And if so, is he back to the cheerful, care-free Will that he used to be?

Jonathan is then helping his little brother out of the front passenger seat, with Nancy by his side. Will stumbles out, looking weak, but when he looks up and sees Mike waiting for him, he manages to wear a smile.

That simple smile on Will’s face tells Mike everything he needs to know.  
The real Will is back. He’s free from the demons that took hold of him, and he’s perfectly healthy.

“Will.” Mike gasps, grabbing hold of his best friend, pulling him into the tightest hug once he’s alongside him.

“I’m fine, Mike.” he laughs, hugging back.

Mike’s relieved to have Will back – of course he is. But at the same time, his eyes keep glancing to where he sees Hopper reaching into the back of his truck, clearly about to grab El.

“Go see her, Mike.” he tells him, pulling back.  
“She needs you.”

Mike glances again, and catches a glimpse of her.

“Go on. I’m fine.”

That’s all it takes. Mike is then rushing down the gravel path, crossing the short distance from the porch to where Hopper now has El in his arms.

“Keep it quiet, Wheeler.” Hopper requests, seeming serious but not aggressive.

“Is she-”

“Mike…”

His heart skips a beat. Even as he watches her hand fall down and reach for him, he’s frozen.

“Mike.” El gasps his name again, snapping him back to attention.

“El!” he grabs her hand tightly in both of his.  
“I…” he gasps, out of breath from the sheer shock of seeing her again.  
“I was so worried.” he tells her. “Are you okay?”

She smiles softly, with her head leaning down out of Hopper’s arms.

“Yeah, kid. She’s fine.” Hopper assures him. “She’s done really well.”

Mike looks up to the man, feeling a mix of emotions. There’s still a lingering piece of anger towards him for keeping them apart, but at the same time, now, he feels thankful. He clearly cares, and has cared for her for all that time. Without Hopper, Mike may have _never_ found her. She could’ve died all alone in the freezing cold woods and he would have never known.

“Come on, let’s go lay you down.” Hopper starts moving towards the porch of the Byers’ home. Mike follows, keeping El’s hand in one of his own, holding tightly, as if she could disappear any moment.

“I told you so.” Max whispers into his ear as he passes.

Mike glances at her. Her eyes show an expression of pride as well as relief as she watches El pass. Mike doesn’t know how to respond. He’d usually snarl at her for the smug expression, but right now, he’s too relieved. And he does respect the fact that she’d tried to help. So maybe she isn’t as bad as he originally thought.

“I’m sorry.” Mike mouths silently as they pass. Max clearly understands, as she nods her head with a smile. And that is all Mike needs to know, maybe, his aggression towards her hasn’t gotten between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think of this idea! If the reception goes well, I'll absolutely be making more of these. But, at more length, and more choices, there's a lot of effort required for this kind of thing.
> 
> Thank you. I love you all!


End file.
